7 n 13 for the non-usa ask!! would’ve said 8 but *gestures to unironic ‘all of (east) europe is the same’ dipshit gang*
Thank you for the ask, Patchy!! ❤️
7. three words from your native language that you like the most?
Oooh, ok, this is gonna be a bit hard cause there are quite a few but-
șod - as a Transylvanian person I am obligated by law to put this here. It's actually a word from our local dialect, but Hungarian in origin, which we use when we want to describe something as funny and endearing at the same time. Like it makes you laugh but you're also super fond of it, and it can be used when referring to people or animals as well!
grai - this is actually Slavic in origin, and it has several related meanings, such as "voice" or "language" or "dialect". It's a pretty literary word as well, that you're more likely to meet in older texts than in casual conversation but I still find it really pretty.
And since we're on the subject, another beautiful word for "voice" is "glas" which just sounds really nice.
Luceafăr - this one might be my favourite, though ngl, it's pretty cliche lol. But basically, it can mean two things: it's either another name for the Planet Venus (and comes in several "flavors" like Luceafărul-de-Seară or Luceafărul-de-Zi, which means Venus of the Evening or Venus of the Day) or can be an epithet given to a man with remarkable qualities.
The word itself actually comes from "Lucifer" which has so many connotations to it and I just find it utterly satisfying as a result, hehe.
13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?
I come from the countryside, and while my family isn't overly religious or even superstitious, I still grew up with a lot of stuff that I didn't realize was weird until later on, like:
when someone dies, you must cover all your mirrors in the house to prevent the spirit from being trapped in them. This is still practised to this day.
if you hear a voice call out your name during the night, do not turn around or answer it. It's an evil spirit coming to harm you.
if you drink water from a certain well in a village, you'll be bound to that place forever and will eventually return to it.
Tuesday the 13th is just as unlucky as Friday the 13th.
do not pick up mirrors or combs you find on the street, they belong to a witch which has placed a curse on them.
fortune telling is real, and you should be wary of having your future told to you.
during the christening party of a child, they will be asked to pick an object from a tray. Whatever they pick is indicative of what their future job will be.
moreover, you can guess what your future husband will look like with a small ritual, where someone places nine objects under dishes and you have to pick at random three. What those three objects are will define the sort of husband you'll get. (I remember picking a comb and a mirror, but not what the third might have been.)
if your right-hand itches, you'll receive money soon. If your left-hand itches, you'll give away money soon.
if you can't stop hiccuping, somebody is talking about you behind your back.
never bring a bouquet of an even number of flowers to someone, only bring odd-numbered ones. Even-numbered bouquets are just for the dead.
always wear red on New Year, because it will bring you good luck! Red also helps defend the evil eye, so babies here often get a small red bracelet made of thread gifted to them.
if you wish for something at exactly 11:11 it will come true!
And this is not even scratching the surface tbh, but I will stop here because otherwise, this post might get way, way too long lol.
